A collection Fairy tales from
Russia.
Sergei Aksakov: The little scarlet flower.
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After supper, she went back to the chamber of white marble, where she had read the words of fire on the wall; and again she saw words inscribe themselves on the very same wall, "Is my mistress pleased with her gardens and chambers, with the hospitality and attention?"
And the merchant's lovely young daughter answered in a happy voice,
"Call me not thy mistress, be thou forever my good master, kind and gracious. I shall never disobey thy will; and I thank thee for all thy hospitality. Nowhere in the whole wide world are there such magnificent lofty chambers and verdant gardens. Why then should I not be pleased? Never in my life have I seen such wonders; I still cannot believe it is all true. But there is one thing: I fear to sleep alone; nowhere in thy lofty chambers is there a living soul but me."
And these words of fire appeared upon the wall, "Have no fear, my lovely mistress. Nor shalt thou sleep alone; for thy handmaid, loyal and true, awaits thee now. Many human souls dwell within these chambers, only thou dost not see or hear them;
they all watch over thee, as I do, day and night: we shall not suffer the wind to blow on thee or a speck of dust to settle upon thee."
Then, the merchant's lovely young daughter went off to her bed-chamber and there she found her handmade, loyal and true, standing at her bed; the girl was half-dead with fright, but rejoiced to see her mistress, kissed her lily-white hands and embraced her dainty feet. Her mistress, too, was pleased to see her and set to questioning her about her own dear father, her elder sisters and about her other maids and servants. And then she herself began to describe her own adventures-so that the pair of them did not sleep before the first rays of dawn.
Thus it was the merchant's lovely young daughter came to live and prosper in her new home. Each day, new expensive robes were laid out for her, such priceless finery that words cannot describe
or a pen depict. Each day saw new and varied amusements and diver-sions: riding through the dark forests in horseless, unharnessed carriages, all to the sound of sweet music, with the trees parting and giving her a wide, wide road to pass over smoothly.
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